Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows Community Sport Hero® Awards

Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows Community Sport Hero® Awards

The Community Sport Hero® Awards were held in Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows on June 25, 2009. The awards winners from the event are:

Sally Clayton, Softball
Sally has been the driving force behind the success of thousands of boys and girls who have enjoyed the benefits of playing an organized team sport in the Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows area. Sally’s presence and tireless efforts in all facets of running the Ridge Meadows Minor Softball Association have made her the face of the association for over 20 years. It has been Sally in the trenches doing the jobs nobody else could handle or was willing to do. From running registration, concessions, planning, advertising, organizing clincs, dealing with multiple levels of government to using her home for meetings, uniform pickup, etc., Sally has been the go-to person for all things softball related in our community.

Sally has dedicated more time, effort, and money to the Ridge Meadows Minor Softball Association than anybody could expcet. This makes her a Community Sport Hero.

Cal Fister, CurlingCal Fister has been a member of Golden Ears Winter Club since 1974 and not a season has gone by that he has not volunteered. He has coached juniors and the adult Learn to Curl program. Golden Ears Winter Club has hosted numerous Provincial level events and Cal is always one of the driving forces behind the event. Recently, he was vice chair on the committe for the Provincial Men’s tournament and instrumental in advocating for the event to be hosted at Golden Ears Winter Club.

Cal is an unsung hero for the Golden Ears Winter Club. He has a passion for curling and is a strong advocate for the club, yet shies away from needing any recognition. He is fully deserving of recognition as he truly is a Community Sport Hero.

Rich Goulet, BasketballRich has spent many years volunteering in Pitt Meadows at the school and community level through the Steve Nash youth Basketball Association. His commitment includes officiating (and allowing youth in our community to mentor through coaching, officiating, and helping with the program), administration of the Steve Nash Youth Basketball Association, and hosting many different local, regional, and provincial events. He is the President of the Fraser Valley Basketball Commission.

His work is tireless, inspiring, and completely dedicated to all levels of athletic ability. Rich is a true Community Sport Hero.

Rick Hammer, Canoe/KayakRick began his involvement with the Ridge Canoe and Kayak Club well over 10 years ago when his eldest son began paddling. As his son’s involvement grew, so did Rick’s. He added officiating to his growing portfolio and currently assists in that capacity at the local, provincial, and national level. Three years ago he started the pitt Meadows Paddling Club and has been a driving force in its success. He has been a great supporter of the Provincial Sport Participation Program (School Dragonboat Program), Aboriginal Initiatives Program, and PaddleALL program.

Rick believes that community sport should be fun and accessible to all. His aptitude for thinking outside the box has created a model that exemplifies long term athlete development. For this, Rick is a Communit Sport Hero.Debbie Keel, Action Schools! BC and Premier’s Sport Award ProgramDebbie has been a leader in Physical Education in the BC school system for almost 30 years. She has coached lacrosse, dance, gymnastics, volleyball, basketball, and track and field. As the district Healthy Living Facilitator position in Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows, Debbie supports healthly living in local schools and promotes physical activity, physical education, and healthy eating practicies. Debbie is also the Master Trainer for Action Schools! BC initiative and has conducted more than 600 Action Schools! BC workshops for BC teachers and studnet leaders on how to integrate physical activity and healthy eating into the school community.

As a tireless and inspiring volunteer, supporter, and role model of physical education both provincially and nationally, Debbie Keel is a Community Sport Hero.

Andrew Lenton, Golden Ears AthleticsA very accomplished athlete (ranked 9th in the world in the 1500m in track as a Junior athlete), he continued his passion for track and field by founding the Golden Ears Athletics track and field club in Maple Ridge in 1999. The club has has grown to become one of the largest in BC, with Andrew being the head coach and President. Andrew was instrumental in convincing the district of Maple Ridge and the local School District to upgrade the existing community track and field facility and a $1 milion upgrade was just completed because of this. He has been active at the school level and is the Fraser Valley high school track and field commissioner.

Patricia MacKay, Speed SkatingPatricia is extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of short track speed skating and spends hours volunteering for the Ridge Meadows Skating Club. Her contribution over the years has been enormous as a resource person, advisor, and official. Any spare time she has is devoted to speed skating and for this, she is a Community Sport Hero.

John Skanks, BoxingJohn has been a member of the Ridge Meadows community for over 30 years, opening the doors of Maple Ridge Boxing Club every Monday to Thursday at 6PM, without missing a day. By doing this he has acted as a mentor, friend, and coach to many young athletes that have gone on to compete internationally. He has been inducted into the Ridge Meadows Hall of Fame in 2004 and has been recognized by his peers in the sport of boxing with the Harold Mann Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.